Peppermint shrimp eating peppermint shrimp

[DirkDigler]

Hi, i recently purchased peppermint shrimp. Not sure if they were a mated pair when I bought them but one of them is smaller than the other and the larger shrimp is carrying eggs. I had to quarantine them while attempted to remove my dotty back fish as it will most definitely eat them. After being together for about a week just fine i woke up to uncover the larger had completely eaten the smaller fish and also no longer has her eggs. Pretty bummed out because i still have aiptasia in my tank and these are going up in price. Anyways, this behavior seems bizarre as i was told these are quite peaceful. Has anyone else experienced this.

 

[blaxsun]

The shrimp ate the fish or the shrimp?

 

[DirkDigler]

I had two peppermint shrimp isolated together in quarantine and one day i woke up to see a missing shrimp, well there were only particles of the exoskeleton and part of the legs remaining but for sure gone from existence. I have a tight seal so i doubt one of them escaped.

 

[Fritz05]

I had the same happening to me when I had three peppermints in a quarantine tank. One was eaten while molting, as there were no good hiding spots in the tank, and I guess the opportunity as too tempting…